Nearly all COVID-19 cases reported in last week have identified source: DeMille

The medical officer of health for the Thunder Bay District says a surge of new COVID-19 cases over the last week doesn't appear to be a sign of community spread.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit reported 23 new cases, all in Thunder Bay and the surrounding area, in a five-day period from Nov. 6 through Tuesday.

Dr. Janet DeMille said while the area's case numbers changed quickly, case management and contact tracing has linked nearly all of the positive tests.

"We have had 23 cases in the last week and only one of them do we not know where the person acquired the virus. For everybody else, we know exactly where they got the virus and from whom they got it," DeMille said.

"That is a really important indicator because it really shows we know where the spread is happening and we're containing it. When we start to see more people where we don't know where they got the virus, that's an indication of broader community spread."

Outbreak

Over the weekend, the health unit said it was managing an outbreak at the Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada men's and women's centres in Thunder Bay.

DeMille said the area's COVID-19 case numbers are primarily being driven up by that outbreak.

"In the same way COVID spreads among people in the household, it has spread in this particular facility," DeMille said.

Many of the recently confirmed cases were isolating prior to receiving the positive test, DeMille said.

'Low-risk' exposures

Two retail stores operated by Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada the Super Thrift Store on Johnson Avenue and the Super Thrift Christmas Store on Cumberland Street have both been temporarily closed. The health unit said people who visited those stores may have been at a low-risk of COVID-19 exposure.

Similar advisories were also made for other locations in the city, including the Canada Games Complex, a gym and a church. People at the locations during the specified times are urged to monitor themselves and immediately isolate and contact an assessment centre if any develop.

The local rise in cases follows a pattern across the country. Ontario has repeatedly surpassed its daily record, and Manitoba public health officials put that province into the red level of its pandemic protocol.

DeMille said the test positive percent in the Thunder Bay area remains low, but cautioned that further restrictions could be possible.

"Things could happen very quickly, and we need to be mindful of that," she said. "Restrictions will be imposed as needed as we go through that if we start to see a substantial increase in cases, especially ones indicative of community spread."